Four or five years: An examination of the motivations for selecting undergraduate engineering program length and impacts on student wellness.

The University of Prince Edward Island’s (UPEI) Faculty of Sustainable Design Engineering (FSDE) is unique in offering the undergraduate curriculum in both Four- and Five-Year degree plan lengths. The purpose of this study is to examine 1) the motivations for selecting and 2) impacts of degree plan length on UPEI FSDE student wellness. An anonymous, voluntary survey (REB approved) was developed and administered to approximately 200 undergraduate students during the Fall 2023 semester. Preliminary analysis found approximately 75% of undergraduate FSDE students follow the Five-Year degree plan option. Further, approximately 50% of respondents selected academic workload as the primary driver for their degree plan choice. The Five-Year degree plan length was the option of choice for UPEI FSDE students, with workload being the primary motivation for the selection. These findings help provide insight into how to better serve students and provide meaningful evidence to support curriculum design for fostering student wellness.